ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the complex interactions between the digital and physical realm by drawing on interviews with museum professionals in the field. It identifies that these individuals see open access as a central part of their mission and recognise the benefits enabled by digital material, including greater public involvement, collective scholarship and enhanced information-sharing. It identifies points of intersection and difference regarding the meanings attributed to museum workers in relation to the delivery of access. The desire for openness and publicness is countered by a tension applied in making collections available in a platform-based format. Given that mediated collections will continue to occupy a central role in the delivery of museum content, this chapter calls on the need to scrutinise the existing power relations between museums and media platforms that support the museum envisioning itself as an open, access-oriented, networked digital infrastructure.
